Q) What applications support the extra features of OpenType?
Adobe InDesign 2.0, as well as Illustrator CS and Photoshop CS all support some of OpenType’s expanded character sets, but each subsequent upgrade has supported additional features, so stay current to access as much as possible. Quark 7.x fully supports the expanded features of OpenType fonts; earlier versions do not. Word does not yet support OpenType expanded character sets, but the next version of Word will. Mellel is a word processing program for Macs that does support these OpenType features.

Q) Can you mix OpenType and Postscript fonts in the same document?
Yes you can, thank goodness, as it would be highly impractical to toss aside (or replace) all your Postscript and TrueType fonts in the presence of OpenType fonts.

Q) I’ve just bought new OpenType versions of some Type1 fonts I use a lot. Can I substitute them in an existing document?
Yes you can, but try not to use them both in the same document. Although they shouldn't cause technical font conflicts, there could be slight visual differences between the two versions that might be noticeable.

Q) Are there any special considerations when sending files using OpenType fonts to a service bureau or printer?
Yes and no. If you send PDFs to your printer or service bureau as final files, the fonts are embedded in the PDF, and thus there are no special considerations. If you send .eps files with all the type converted into outlines, no fonts are needed, so it is not a problem either. On the other hand, if you send your printer native files, make sure they are using the same version of the software as you, and that they have the same exact fonts. If they don’t, you might not get back what you thought you sent.

Q) How much more expensive are OpenType fonts than other font formats?
The price variance depends on the character complement of the font, as well as the foundry selling it. Your basic OpenType font might be a few dollars more than a Type1 or TrueType version, but if it is a Pro font, and/or has hundreds, if not thousands more characters, it might be a bit more than that. It is usually well worth the extra price for the additional features.

Q) I have not had good luck using spell check with OpenType ligatures. Is there a fix?
James Montalbano of Terminal Design says, “There is no fix per se. Have you contacted the foundry that created the font and told them of your problem? If the font in question has had its glyphs named properly, you should have no trouble with spell check. If the glyphs have been named in a non-standard way, spell checking will be a problem.

Early OpenType font releases had numerous problems. The format was new and best practices were evolving. Most of these issues have now been resolved, and newer OpenType fonts should not give you this problem. Remember that fonts are software: OpenType fonts are complex, and some type designers are issuing updates to their fonts as issues with the OpenType format are identified and improved.”

Q) Is Adobe (and other foundries) going to go back to their first generation OpenType fonts and add more glyphs? If we own fonts already like Adobe Garamond, would we have to reorder the OpenType font in the future?
The answer is yes, in some cases OT fonts have been re-released with a larger character complement. Many foundries were in a hurry to make their entire library available in OpenType, and once this is done, go back and expand the character set, whether it’s more swashes, ligatures, or foreign language support. For instance, Adobe Garamond is available as Garamond Std, Garamond Pro and Garamond Premier Pro.

Whether you wish to purchase the newest version and take advantage of the expanded character set is up to you; they are not sent out as free updates.

Q) We have been using OpenType fonts and have been having lots of problems with a couple of them in Quark 6. Do you have a solution?
Yes, upgrade to Quark 7! Many or most of the problems with OpenType in Quark 6.x have been addressed in 7.0. If you still have problems, contact the type foundry, as they might have released a revised version if the font had problems.

Q) What exactly are a ligature and a swash?
A ligature is a character made from connecting or combining two or more characters into one, such as fi and fl. A swash character is one in which a fancy flourish replaces a serif or a terminal stroke.

Q) From a designer’s standpoint, is it bad to use MANY swashes, alternates, etc.? Hence: the design might be too busy.
The answer is yes, resist the temptation to use too many typographic "bells and whistles" in one document or your design can look overworked, and become harder to read. Also, make sure the ones you use are suitable for the piece. The fewer "special effects" you use, the more they will stand out.